Despite the fact I have a "blog" I feel the drama taking place in my life right now is only worthy of livejournal. I got my results on monday, and instead of being able to rejoice the fact I passed with an average score and didn't fail any subject, I had to start stressing the fuck out about the fact I hadn't met ANY of my offers.

I've been calling universities and emailing my head of year like crazy. What it's come down to now is: My first choice of University (Goldsmiths, Media and Communication course) basically said they'll only be able to take if after A Level results come out, a lot of applicants do not meet the requirements. I was 4 points off and that doesn't put me in any sort of advatageous position.My second choice of University (Queen Mary, Journalism and Contemporary History course) are being way more leniant/concerned. I'm only two points off their offer and I have the 5 in History which they required. I was told to send an email to a certain Mr. Something, and that it would probably only be beneficial for my teachers to send in an email too, as it will be taken into consideration when looking over my application in the next couple of weeks.

To complicate everything, my school wants to know asap if I want to retake some of my subjects in November...However my issue is, I can't really take that decision before knowing if any University accepts me. Clearing would be an option, but to be honest I'd rather not take the risk of ending up in a shit university doing an irrelevant course. Also studying anywhere outside of London I've never considered an option. What I'm trying to understand is whether I actually get my diploma even if I decide to do retakes - There'd be no point blowing an entire year of University to score a few points more and then probably get into exactly the same course. On top of that chances are that if Queen Mary accepts me I'll be applying extremely late for accomodation, meaning I will get something crap and definitley not EN SUIT.

CHEERRRRRRRRRY ON THE CAKE, I think the restaurant I've worked in for only 6 times or so has already decided to fire me even though I thought I was doing alright.... They crossed my name off the list according to my friend, but she's going to talk to the new manager today, seeing as her name was also crossed off and she was told to come in and work under this guy's surveillance. I don't understand this whole restaurant hierarchy.

Basically, not beign accepted to University and possibly being fired from one of the most simple forms of labour ever is not exactly beneficial nor to my aura nor to my ego.

It's tough proving a negative. It is even tougher proving that something or someone does not exist.

That was the challenge after The New Republic story, "Hack Heaven," which appeared in the May 18 issue, proved to be unverifiable. At first it appeared that Forbes Digital had been scooped by a weekly political publication.

"Hack Heaven" detailed the exploits of Ian Restil, a 15-year-old computer hacker who broke through the online security system of a "big-time software firm" called Jukt Micronics. Once inside, the cheeky youth posted every employee's salary on the company's web site alongside a bunch of nudie pictures, each bearing the caption "THE BIG BAD BIONIC BOY HAS BEEN HERE BABY."

But instead of calling in the Feds, Jukt executives, according to The New Republic, decided to hire the teenage hacker, who had obtained the services of an agent, Joe Hiert, described as a "super-agent to super-nerds." The magazine also claimed that such deals have thwarted efforts to prosecute hackers and that law enforcement officials in Nevada got so desperate that they ran radio advertisements: "Would you hire a shoplifter to watch the cash register? Please don't deal with hackers."

A frightening story. But not true.

The article was a complete and utter hoax perpetrated by one of the magazine's own associate editors, 25-year-old Stephen Glass.

Our first step was to plug Jukt Micronics into a bunch of search engines. We found no web site, odd for a "big-time software firm." Our next step was to contact the Software Publishers Association of America. Nothing. Next on our list was the California Franchise Tax Board. An official from the Tax Board confirmed that Jukt Micronics had never paid any taxes. Further investigations revealed that Jukt Micronics, if it existed at all, was not listed under any of California's 15 area codes. Sarah Gilmer from the office of the California Secretary of State said there was no record of the company, "as a corporation, a limited liability or limited partnership."

A search of Lexis-Nexis' extensive database turned up only one reference to Jukt Micronics: Glass's New Republic story.

A frightening story. But not true.

What about Nevada's radio announcements? We were unable to locate a single law enforcement official in Nevada who could verify their existence. Neither the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police nor the Nevada State Highway Patrol had heard of this antihacker radio spot. We called four of the largest radio stations in the state and the city editors from both the Las Vegas Sun and the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Again, all were ignorant.

"I know nothing about a public service announcement radio campaign on hackers," Bob Harmon, Public Information Officer for the Nevada State Attorney General's Office, told Forbes Digital Tool, "and I'd certainly know about it."

Next on our checklist was the official-sounding "Center for Interstate Online Investigations," supposedly a joint police project in 18 states, and the "Computer Security Center," a supposed advocacy group. Both organizations had inside-the-Beltway bureaucratic names, but officials at the Justice Department, the FBI, the U.S. Customs Department and police departments in California and New Hampshire (both aggressive cybercrime fighters) had never heard of these organizations.

Wait. There's more.

Glass also cited an organization called the "National Assembly of Hackers," which he claimed had sponsored a recent hacker conference in Bethesda, Md. Surely this was real. But no. Despite our best efforts, we could not unearth a single hacker who had even heard of this outfit, let alone attended the conference.

Glass reported that 21 states were considering versions of the "Uniform Computer Security Act," which would "criminalize immunity deals between hackers and companies." Again, law enforcement officials were unaware of any such law, and the National Conference of Commissions on Uniform State Laws, based in Chicago, reported no knowledge of it.

In short, nothing in the story could be verified. Even Jukt Micronics' phone number turned out to be a cell phone.

"Steve has admitted to making up certain parts of it," Lane said on Sunday. "Based on my own investigations, I have determined to a moral certainty that the entire article is made up."

It is ironic that online journalists have received bad press from the print media for shoddy reporting. But the truth is, bad journalism can be found anywhere.

NYRZRESOZ:Finish school/get into Queen MaryFit comofortably into the trousers I just boughtGet my blog up and running under my domainBe calmerMake my procrastination more constructiveVisit Iceland before it dissapears